Korean Rice
Korean rice is white, short grain rice. It can go by the name Calrose rice. It is also the same type as Japanese rice which is also sushi rice.
It has a sticky texture so it is also sometimes referred to as “sticky rice” as well. Isn’t it fun how confusing rice can be?
Note: Some products will be categorized as medium grain rice. I know, it’s terribly confusing.
What is rice called in Korean?
Rice grains are called “SSAL” (think of calling your friend “Sally” shortened to “Sal” but you’re really mad at her so you strongly emphasize the “S”).
Once it’s been cooked, it’s called “BAP”. You should be aware though, that the entire meal is also referred to as “BAP”. A common greeting in Korea is “Have you eaten?” and this will be said like “BAP muggut-so?” because most meals in Korea contain cooked rice but it applies to any kind of meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner/whether you’re eating rice or a salad).
TYPES OF KOREAN RICE
Baekmi White Rice 백미 (say it: Beck-Mee)
This is the type of rice eaten most regularly in a Korean home. This is also the rice you will most likely be served at Korean restaurants. White rice comes from brown rice. It removes the hull (shell), bran (fibre) and germ (nutrients) and is polished, almost completely stripping it of any nutritional value. One benefit is that it is very gentle on the digestive system.
Most of the short-grain white rice produced outside of Korea is grown in the US (usually California: “Calrose Rice”) and adheres to US standards of enriching white rice with nutrients after milling; nutrients are added back using chemical means (Source US Food & Drug Section 137.350 Enriched Rice).
To make white rice more nutritious at home, many Koreans will buy other grains, beans or a mix of those to add when cooking.
White rice, is undeniably tasty though 😅.
Hyunmi Brown Rice 현미 (say it: Hyun-Mee)
This is by far the healthier rice. With only the tough shell removed, it is a whole grain containing fibre (good for digestion). It also retains important nutrients like magnesium (regulates sugar levels) and folate (makes DNA material).
The flavour is nuttier, requires more chewing and takes a bit longer to cook.
It is undeniably less tasty (although some people grow to love the taste of brown rice!), and for all the reasons stated, Oppa does not like brown rice 🤣.
Most health-conscious people I know try to lessen their intake of white rice by 1) Replacing it completely with brown rice (hard core method) or 2) Mixing in brown rice/grains/beans into white rice (easier to adapt).
Obundomi Half-Milled Brown Rice 오분도미 (say it: Oh-Boondo-Mee)
This is a brown rice that has only been half-milled. Many people who want to eat brown rice for the health benefits but are put off by the taste and tough texture will find this to be a better alternative.
It’s marketed as being the best of both worlds. Almost as tasty as white rice, and with 50% more health benefits.
This is a premium (read: alternative) product with a premium price tag.
Japgok Mixed Grain rice 잡곡 (say it: Jap-Gock)
This is brown rice that has been mixed with other whole grains and beans/peas like barley, millet, mung bean, red bean. It usually has various types of sweet rice which help in making the finished product sticky.
A small bag can just be used to supplement a large bag of white rice, or you can just buy Japgock rice in big bags and eat it as is.
There are usually at least 5 assortments, but there are products with 15 or even more than 20 types of grains and legumes in the mixture.
Chapssal Sweet Rice 찹쌀 (say it: Chap-Ssal)
Sweet rice can be added to brown rice, adding a sticky sweetness that the latter lacks. It is also used in Korean Chicken Soup (Samgyetang). It’s known to be very gentle on the digestive system and is used to make porridge (congee) to eat when sick.
Other than that, it is more often used as an ingredient: Making TTEOK (rice cakes), Kimchi Paste (ferments and adds sweetness) or MAKGEOLLI (Korean rice beer).
As it isn’t eaten on a regular basis, you’ll find small bags of sweet rice at the Korean market.
How to make rice healthier
White rice is a refined grain like white bread and pasta. People are familiar with how empty these are in terms of nutritional value.
By adding whole grains or beans, it’s possible to make a healthier rice at home!
Buying any whole grain or dried beans (or peas) of your choice and adding it to simple white rice will add nutrients and health benefits.
Popular additions are wild rice/black rice, brown rice, barley, millet, Korean red beans, black beans but any that you enjoy (kidney beans or quinoa) will do the job.
It may yield a better final product if you soak the whole mixture in water for a few hours before cooking it. Some people report cooking this type of mixed rice is better in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker) as well. Pressurized rice cookers (Cuckoo) will have a mixed rice function- look for the 잡곡 button.
How to make Korean Purple Rice
DEEP PURPLE
Pretty.
White rice, like white bread is considered to be a unhealthy carbohydrate because over-processing has stripped it of nearly all nutrients. However, the appeal of its sweet taste is hard to deny. Many Koreans will mix whole grains, beans or more nutrient-rich rice (like brown rice) to combat this.
Mixing in a bit of black rice is called Heuk-Mi Bap and is considered a healthier way to consume white rice.
How to pronounce it in Korean: “Huck-Me-Bap”.
Purple rice gets its wonderful colour from the addition of black rice. Black rice is considered a healthy addition because it has high amounts of Anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are known to have powerful antioxidant properties.
From a visual perspective, very little black rice is needed to achieve any change in hue. White rice will readily take on this dark pigment and a little goes a long way. A conservative amount to add would be 1 Tbsp of black rice to 1 Cup of white rice. This is create a softly purple-tinted bowl of rice.
We were eager to reap some health benefits so tried an equal ratio (1C black rice to 1C white rice) and it became a very dark purple. Keep in mind black rice does have a “nuttier” taste as the outer shell is intact. If you don’t enjoy this type of flavour (like brown rice), then keep to the minimum ratio. If you enjoy a nuttier rice and love the rich purple colouring, increase your ratio!
Apart from the health benefits, it’s a fun change to the humdrum bowl of rice.
Fun read? Wholesome Rice: Food Stylist…Serves Homey, Rice-centric Fare at Ssalgage (Korean Herald)